Recipe of the Week

My family loves this recipe for Santa Fe Chicken. The original recipe is from skinny taste and I have made some changes. My favorite Black Bean recipe, also from that site, has made it's way into my version of Santa Fe Chicken because they are way too delicious. The recipe makes about 3 cups of beans but my Santa Fe Chicken only uses one cup. You can divide the bean recipe into thirds or you can just make the whole things and have quick lunch or supper the next day. I highly recommend this as anything I have put them in become absolutely delicious. Here are some ideas for using the remaining beans. For a very simple, quick lunch or dinner add some sliced smoky or good quality hot dog, heat and serve over a thick slice of toasted bread, use to make a quesadilla with some corn and chicken or beef, puree the bean to sauce consistency and mix into taco meat for a more nutritious and delicious taco, nachos or salad. For a yummy snack or appetizer you can add a little salsa and cheese on top of the taco meat/beans and scoop it up with chips or cut sweet bell peppers into scoops. For a little more work but well worth it: make Latin flavored rice and slow cooker shredded meat with the beans for burritos or a salad bowl (add shredded lettace, pico de gallo or salsa, avacado and cheese. I also love beans over rice with fried chicken or slow cooker pork or beef roast or just beans and rice. Skinnytaste.com has an excellent rice recipe called Latin Yellow Rice to make rice and beans or burritos or salad bowl. She also has many delicious Latin flavored shredded meat recipes such as carnitas, sweet baracoa pork, pernil or chicken ropa vieja if you want to make burritos or a salad bowl with the beans. If you are really pressed for time you can add one cup undrained black beans instead of the Cuban style black beans.

Santa Fe Chicken

3 chicken breasts
1 cup crushed tomatoes
1 cup cuban style black beans
1 cup frozen corn
1 cup chicken broth
3 scallions chopped
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. onion powder
1 tsp. cumin
pinch cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp. salt or to taste
1 Tbsp. sugar or to taste
1/4 cup chopped cilantro

Combine everything except chicken and cilantro in crock pot. Season chicken with salt and lay on top. Cook on low for 10 hours or on high for 6 hours. Take chicken out and shred it then add back into crock pot with cilantro and stir in. Adjust salt and seasoning and serve over rice.

Cuban Style Black Beans

2 tsp. olive oil

1/2 onion,
2 cloves minced
2 scallions,
2 tbsp. red bell pepper
3 Tbsp. cilantro, chopped
19 oz. can black beans, undrained
1/2 cup water
1 bay leaf
few pinches cumin
pinch oregano
1 tsp. red wine or apple cider vinegar
1/2 tsp. salt and pepper

Chop onion, garlic, scallions and red bell pepper in a mini food processor. Add oil to pan on medium heat. Add vegetables and saute until soft. Add beans, water, bay leaf, cumin, oregano, red wine vinegar, salt, pepper and bring to a boil. Cover, lower heat and simmer 15 minutes. Add cilantro and take off heat.